Teen Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

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Teen Therapy

When is it the right time to get your teen, some help navigating social and emotional issues?

 

Teenage years are an incredibly challenging time for both the teen and their families. This can include Navigating social issues, peers/friends, school, and social media. All of this can lead to struggles with self-esteem issues and fears of not belonging and missing out. Some teens might even be experiencing bigger issues like peer pressure, depression, and social anxiety.

So, when is it the right time to get your teen, some help with their mental health? When you see your teen not being able to deal with their emotions and the stressor from everyday life and if they start to become isolative, highly sensitive, sleep deprived and on edge it is time to seek help from a mental health professional.

Today it has never been easier finding a mental health therapist or professional in your community. Most clinicians are doing telehealth and in person sessions to better accommodate you and your teens schedules.

So, what can your teen expect from therapy especially in the initial intake session?

In the first therapy session a good clinician/therapist will make sure to ask your teen lots of question to gain their confidence and trust. They will also talk to your teen about the kinds of therapy they think will be most beneficial such as Cognitive Behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy and narrative therapy. The therapist will gather as much information as they can from your teen and help them to discuss the problems they are experiencing. The therapist might also suggest some family therapy where the family can assist in the teens mental health and to play a more active role in their teen’s success.

It is a good idea to schedule therapeutic sessions once a week at least in the beginning of treatment. This helps maintain consistency and helps to encourage your teen to take an active role in therapy and its success. Taking responsibility for their treatment will help your teen gain confidence and success and as a result will build their self-esteem and increase their self-worth. By attending therapy sessions your teen will gain knowledge about themselves thus increasing their self-awareness. This newfound knowledge will help them better understand their role in social situations and how to better navigate stressful situations. In therapy a good therapist will help your teen by role playing situations they are experiencing in school, at home and in social situations which will help them be more balanced, consistent, and genuine with themselves and with others.

Teen therapy can be challenging for the teen and their family. It is usually a new experience for all. But once they start on this path to increasing their mental health there will be positive experiences and growth for all.